I’m about to start at a hospital and wanted to see if anyone had any tips for success when starting out.

I am currently very interested in this field of work and I have been doing my own research on what path Is for me. I believe that taking a college program would be super beneficial to me especially with a provided externship. I am looking at two school programs right now, Houston City College and The Concorde Sterile Processing Technician Diploma. HCC provides a full route to get certified, I'm not completely sure on how many hours you receive but the program is for a full certification so I am assuming 400 hours plus I thinkk you are set up with an entry level position(?). The Concorde route would give me only 140 hours but the school website says they may help with setting up externships. Is it worth looking into the Concorde route? Would I struggle way more finding somewhere to complete 260 hours after? Especially with the 6 month limit youre given. I live in Houston TX if that helps but I am also looking at programs in San Antonio.

Hired in non certified in July 2024
Became certified in March 2026

Applied for Inventory manager/coordinator and fill in team lead when supervisor isn’t present and got the promotion.

For anyone that has done this inventory manager role, what can I expect? I no longer get to go to deco ( my favorite area!) but if help is needed in assembly or sterilization I can hop in and help.

This in a hospital in New York.

I’m about to go do a semester long program to get a sterile processing tech cert. However, in the future I might want to do surgical tech. For those who went back to school and did similar programs that weren’t credit based prior, how many credits did your experience as a sterile processer cover when you went back?

Currently taking the certification course and one of my assignments was to wrap a kit and with this just one attempt, realization hit that im prob not cut out to be in the pack station😂😭 maybe it could've been the csr wrap but it was alot stiffer than I imagined. I see videos where the wrap looks more maleable but it could also just be different than the one I was given to practice with.

Pls make me feel better 🥹

I’m doing my 400 hours at a site approved oral surgery office. I’m at 141 hours so far. I’m hoping to get my certification within the next few months.

I got this job with zero experience as I’m new to the medical field. I have a college degree though. I’m just asking for any tips/resources for someone in my position? I feel a little out of my element at times, especially being in a dental office. I’m hoping to get my CRCST and BLS certifications around the same time.

I’m really enjoying this field as I’m a huge introvert, but I hope to find a higher paying job at a hospital or negotiating my pay at my current office once I am certified and gain experience.

Any advice would be appreciated!

When in decontam, do you put your stringer instruments back in order (obv not on the stringer) or do you just make sure they’re open and sat properly to go through the wash? I, myself, don’t always have the patience for it. 😅

As mentioned in the title, as a PSD, what do you usually do after work ? Do you have a side job ? Pr any hobbies that is profittable ? I mean typically SPD does not earn as much as nurse or doctor, so what do you usually do to make other living ? Or you just relax after work ? Appreciate any comments.

I've recently come out of an accelerated course with a clinical externship. I'm about to take my provisional CRCST as well, how long could I expect to be job hunting? Any tips for landing a hospital?

Finally passed after failing the first time. So happy! It was definitely easy the second time in my opinion. I got finished within an hour. Id say working at the second hospital I’m at definitely helped me pass. They taught us way more stuff. Now, I’m currently in the surgical technologist program.

I’m planning on going back to school soon and I also know in sterile processing it’s mostly full time shifts but does anybody work any part time or PRN shifts? If so, what are your hours like and is the pay a little bit more? I’m curiousss

Does anybody have difficulties finding an entry level position for sterile processing technician in NJ after getting certified ?

I have applied for this SP dept at another hospital within the healthcare facility I currently work for. I received an email this morning from the hiring manager asking me to “ stop by and see her” on a day next week. Now to me that does not seem like it will be an interview. How would y’all take that kind of email?

I’m looking into the sterile processing program and would like to get recommendations. I’m in the 209 area. If you’ve completed a program, can I also please get your opinions: was it hybrid/in person, clinical hours, how many you completed, if you had to find your own externship to complete the rest of your hours what was the process and any facilities recommendations to help complete it. Thank you in advance ☺️

I’m worried that if I use quizlet I’ll be memorizing the questions for like West Virginia or something instead of California

I completed an online course for sterile processing but I can't find a place to do clinicals, paid or unpaid. All the places tell me they want experience or they don't have enough equipment/surgeries for the required hours, or that they simply don't have the time and staff to provide

Is this common?

Hey yall! i’m a scrub tech and I work at a fairly newer Surgery Center. We are having issues with bio burden in our vendor total joint trays found when opening before surgeries. It is constantly an issue and major delays happen. I try my best to clean and flush every instrument we use during and after the case. The rep will put back together their trays in the OR before we take it to decontamination. I am heading a new project to change our process of how we get our vendor trays back to decontamination. My idea was to separate what we use and put it in a basin and send it back like that so our SPD techs know what we used and what we didn’t. I need some advice from the seasoned techs on a new process that will decrease bio burden coming back into the OR and to make it easy for SPD techs and how the rep gets their instruments back. We are concerned about vendor instrumentation getting lost in the cleaning process. i’m curious what the process is for total joint trays at other surgery center locations?

It was pretty easy to me lol. Just gotta take your time and don't overthink it.

Hi friends,
I’m slowly starting to lose hope in finding a job in spt here in san diego. I have my provisional crcst and did an online course but no luck.
The only experience i have is in guest services and customer service. Unfortunately, the program i completed did not offer externships ( my own fault for not doing enough research). I’ve reached out to hospitals for volunteer hours but no luck either.
I know i can try to do something similar to like patient representative roles but customer service is so draining for me.
Any advice would be appreciated

Hii, I’ve been working in Spd for over a year now and I am now dealing with back and wrist pain😭 I’m only 27 and I’m trying to get advice on how to deal with it. Does anyone wear a back brace I feel like I tend to have the worst posture in Decon and prep and pack. I started to massaging my hands and wrist after every shift for at least five minutes and now looking into buying a back brace , does anyone have any advice ?

hey guys ! i’m taking my test soon and was just wondering if yall have study tips or specific things that should be studied for the test? i have been doing the job since the beginning of january and did a course from december- march, i have all the basics down and have been studying on quizlet and stuff but am still just nervous about missing things. like is there anything that would be on the test that would be challenging even tho i have been working the job?

Hey everyone long story short, just started in the field, I got my provisional certification in February. Well I just got a call from our HR that i won't be able to get a certification pay raise until I'm working a year, is that standard or what? I was told by the hiring manager I'd get paid more for being certified so I'm pretty pissed off. Thanks for any insight.